Journey of a Thousand Fathoms
by G123u
Summary: Every once in a while, a human child is born with light-colored hair and a finned tail instead of legs. Once these children grow older, their hair returns to its original shade and their legs return. But upon contact with water, they reveal their mermaid origins. This is the tale of one of these children, with pure-white hair - the most rare mermaid in Elrios. Cover art by PEL.
1. Chapter 1 - Welcome to the Crew

**~ Chapter One: Welcome to the Crew ~**

* * *

_Come here child, let me tell you a story – a story of long, long ago, in a faraway land known as 'Elrios'. This bountiful land was surrounded by endless drops of water, hiding many beautiful secrets deep in its abyss._

_One of these secrets were delicate creatures of water, servants of the holy Salvatore Denif. With silvery white hair, shining dreamily like a full moon on a misty evening, and colorful, scaled tails in place of long legs, these enchanting mistresses were known amongst the other races as mermaids – the maidens of the eternal blue sea._

_Many of these maidens yearned for life on land – to walk with legs upon the solid earth, to see the greens, reds, yellows of the forests and cities, and, most of all, to feel the embrace of other human-like beings. Feeling sympathetic for these lonely mermaids, Salvatore Denif ventured out into the world, gathering every last one of them and offering them a choice:_

"Those who wish to live their lives on land, please follow me. Those who wish to return to the depths of the seas may do so, knowing that you will not receive another chance."

_And so, the mermaids were split up into two groups – those who exchanged their colorful fins for human legs and their gills for lungs, and those who did not. With the Master of Water's blessings, the legged mermaids set out to venture the earthen realms. Some settled with humans, some settled with Elves, and some, were unfortunate enough to never experience joys on land._

_The mermaids who settled with humans were loved for their beauty and curious innocence, and most importantly, their unusual, shining white hair. Many were captured or sold, destined to live forever as an object to their owners. Those who were lucky enough to find love lived happily with their human families, satisfied with their choice._

_Many of these mermaids gave birth, passing on their traits to their offspring, both male and female. But once every few centuries, a child is born with light-colored hair, and colorful fins instead of legs. These children mature with their original hair color and human legs, but once they make contact with a large amount of water, they reveal their mermaid origins. These poor children were, like their mothers, often given away for large sums of money, held captive in large fish tanks and adorned with all sorts of dresses and crowns._

_This, my child, is a story of one of these children – a young boy born with hair the color of fresh snow on a wintery morning – the child known as the rarest mermaid in Elrios..._

* * *

"Main the entrances! Don't let anyone enter or escape!"

Endless cries of various soldiers rang throughout the noble's house. A wave of footsteps accompanied these cries – half barricading the building against the intruding bandits; the other half searching for their employer's missing treasure.

"My lord! Please evacuate immediately!"

The elderly man pushed his guard aside, his eyes wide with despair – not at his damaged property, but the loss of his beloved doll.

"No… Find him! Bring him back to me! I don't care what you do, bring back the mermaid!"

* * *

"Haa… Ha…"

A young boy ran down the empty hallway, not daring to even slow down. His small, bare feet slapped the cold floor harshly, but he ignored the burning pain, and continued to run. Colorful jewels and artificial flowers of all shapes and sizes fell as the boy tore off his accessories – the crown, the veil, earrings, necklace, bracelets, all thrown away without a single glance. He slowed down, allowing himself to catch his breath. Seeing no one in sight, he dropped his simple, beige-colored cloak and started to tear his beautiful white dress, not even caring about the rare and expensive materials used to make it. He tore off the laces, the layered ruffles on the skirt, and all the adorning gems until his once-beautiful gown looked like a simple commoner's dress. He then hastily picked up his cloak and started to run again, making sure to cover his messy, wet hair with his hood.

The boy soon arrived at a balcony, leading to the clear night sky. Hearing footsteps, he quickly ran outside, hiding himself behind the tall, white marble doors and vibrant red curtains. A cluster of soldiers ran by, without even glancing at the open balcony window. As the footsteps disappeared into silence, the small boy stepped out of his hiding spot, peeking his head into the now-empty corridor. He breathed deeply. With the guards distracted by the bandits, he would be able to finally sneak out and run away. He took another deep breath, a faint smile forming on his thin lips, his blue eyes shining with ever-flowing hope. This was his perfect chance. He would not allow himself to be caught again.

Double-checking to make sure no one was in sight, the boy quickly ran back into the hallway, only to collide with another person. But before he could react, the boy felt an arm wrap around his fragile waist, and his feet lift off the ground. He felt strong winds throw back his hood and tousle his messy blond hair, quickly scattering the remaining water droplets into the colorful world below. He glanced around and noticed the balcony he was standing on mere moments ago shrink and fade from his sight. He let out a weak cry, feeling slightly panicked. Unable to see his attacker's face, he glanced at their broad back, covered with hard, black leather.

The winds then stopped, and the boy heard quiet footsteps on metal. A loud, childish voice was heard, calling out to the young boy's attacker.

"Welcome back Raven! What's that you got there?"

The boy bit his lower lip, glancing his eyes down, frustrated that he was caught so quickly. His attacker walked forwards, his grip on the small boy still strong and firm. He replied casually, his voice mature and low.

"He was hiding from the guards."

"His dress is made of an expensive, fine silk; clearly, he is clearly no ordinary person."

A third voice, belonging to a female, monotonous, but with a hint of curiosity. More footsteps. Then, the first voice.

"Heh~. I wonder if he's the mermaid we've heard about."

The boy furrowed his brows and bit down harder on his lip, drawing a small amount of blood. The childish voice continued,

"Hey Aisha! Mind bringing some water over?"

The young boy felt his attacker's grip loosen slightly, as he was lifted up and laid gently on the cold, dark metal floor. He grabbed his cloak closer, lowering his gaze and avoiding any eye contact. He saw a pair of black boots approach, and the first, childish voice call out – to him this time.

"Hey, mind if I pour some water on ya?"

The boy lifted his head, but before he could even open his mouth to respond, a large bucket of water was dumped on his head. He gasped, feeling his legs give way and his body fall. He quickly moved his arms to stop his fall, resting them on the ground and propping himself up. He hung his dripping head, a lock of shining, white hair falling from his shoulders, glistening in the dark, moonless night like a small torchlight. He curled his fish tail inwards, bringing it closer to his body in shame.

"A mermaid…"

"Wow! Nice catch Raven! Though I think it's more of a 'merman' than a 'mermaid'."

The childish voice laughed.

Through his long bangs, the boy saw a hand extended to him. He raised his head, meeting with a smiling face and warm, crimson eyes and hair of the same hue. The red-haired boy laughed.

"Sorry about that. My name's Elsword, what's yours?"

The white-haired boy averted his gaze, mumbling out his response.

"…Chung."

"Chung huh? Nice to meet—"

"Lacher, Josephine, Aria, Rose, Timo, Sapphire, Kia, Ahnri, Snow, Crystal, Bijou, Antoine, Baron, Jacob, Styx…"

The blue-eyed boy trailed off, watching in amusement as the boy named Elsword fumbled over his many names.

"That many…?" He grumbled. "Do you have one you like the most?"

The boy shook his head, earning an exasperated groan from the fiery redhead. He chuckled lightly, quickly closing his mouth as he remembered that these people were thieves of sorts. And they had already found out his secret… He frowned, hoping that they didn't plan on selling him off anytime soon.

"Geez, Elsword, you shouldn't just leave him like that. What if he catches a cold?"

A new voice, and more footsteps.

"Huh? Can mermaids even catch colds?"

"Dunno. You should ask Eve sometime."

The boy raised his head slightly, flinching harshly as he felt a large towel and a pair of hands touch his head. He clenched his eyes shut as the hands proceeded to dry his hair. The hands let go, leaving the towel on his damp head. He raised his head, meeting with an outstretched hand and beautiful blue eyes – like the sea and sky merged into one.

"Here, let me help you up."

The boy looked away, refusing the hand. He pushed himself up, bringing his tail forwards and under the larger towel. Raising his head fully, he glanced around, taking in his surroundings. They were on a large metal ship, surrounded by not water, but endless waves of cloud and sky. He looked at his kidnappers – there were seven in total – two males and five females. He glanced at the blue-eyed lady near him, the one who offered him her assistance.

Long, flowing, cream-colored hair accompanied by pale, rosy skin and large, kind blue eyes, dressed in a flamboyant scarlet suit. _'She's so pretty…' _The boy quickly looked away, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. He heard a laugh.

"Looks like you caught yourself another fanboy Pally!" The voice named Elsword teased.

"Oh, shut up Elsword." The lady named Pally retorted. "It's not my fault I look a lot like a girl…"

The white-haired boy raised his head to look at the blue-eyed person, examining their features with his curious blue eyes. He tilted his head innocently, feeling slightly confused.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Pally noticed the young boy staring at him, most likely trying to figure out his real gender. He chuckled lightly, crouching down on one knee to face the boy. He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his arm.

"Hiya. Um… I might look a lot like a girl, but… I'm actually a guy."

The smaller boy continued to stare, wondering if it was even possible for someone to be so beautiful. Pally laughed again, snapping the white-haired boy out of his trance.

"What about you? Are you a boy or a girl?"

The boy huffed childishly and averted his gaze, replying with a slightly more confident voice than before.

"A boy, of course."

"So what should we call you?" The feminine boy asked, a broad smile still pasted on his face.

"…There's no need for me to tell you my name." The small boy replied coldly. He furrowed his brows, a painful lingering sense of betrayal forming as tears in the corners of his eyes. He blinked quickly, supressing the tears. He continued to speak, but with a quieter voice.

"After all, you're just going to sell me off to a rich person, just like everyone else does…"

Silence filled the airship, with only the engines working away quietly. After a few brief moments of uncomfortable shuffling, Elsword quickly ran into the Captain's Quarters, exiting with a fistful of crimson red and black clothes. He slowed to a stop beside his blonde friend, and thrust the clothes in front of the small boy.

"Here! Put these on! From now on, you're officially a member of our crew!" The redhead smiled brightly, unfazed by the boy's shocked face. He frowned.

"What's wrong? Don't you know how to dress yourself?"

The boy fumbled with his tongue, unsure of how to reply.

"B-But, we just met! And… And you're thieves aren't you?" His voice fell. "Aren't you going to… …Send me away?"

Silence.

The redheaded boy suddenly laughed, surprising the mermaid boy.

"Of course not! Treating humans like objects is just wrong! And plus," He smiled. "If you find something rare, you would keep it, right?"

Elsword laughed heartily as his crewmates face palmed or shook their heads. The mermaid boy stared in amazement at their carefree nature. _'Maybe they really will let me stay…' _He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts, not wanting to raise any false hopes.

The mermaid boy quickly dried himself, the thieves watching with amazement as his colorful scales faded away and revealed two, thin, long legs. He took the clothes from the redhead's hands, clutching them tightly in his arms as he glanced around uncomfortably.

"Um… Is there a room where I can change in?"

Elsword laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head with his right hand. "…Oh. Right. Heheh…" He glanced around, noticing the menacing auras his crewmates gave off, as if they were saying, 'Don't you dare let him even step into my room'. He lowered his hand and pointed to the door he just came from, sighing dejectedly. "I guess you can use my room, it's the one just over there. Just don't touch anything okay?"

The mermaid boy nodded his head and obediently walked to the door, tightly clutching his clothes, cloak, and towel. Without even glancing behind him, the boy opened the door and quickly slipped inside.

He sat down, back leaning against the door, and examined the clothes he was given, completely ignoring the rest of the messy room. A black tank top with a vibrant red short-sleeved jacket, paired with similarly shaded pants and fingerless gloves, and thick, black boots – much like the uniform the lady—no, the pretty male was wearing. The boy quickly changed, surprised that the clothes were an almost perfect fit.

As he picked up his former clothes and towel, the boy opened the door slightly, just wide enough to peek through. He was immediately noticed by the feisty redheaded boy, however.

"Hey, you done changing? Come on out then!" The redhead waved his hand, beckoning the shy boy closer.

Hesitantly, the young boy stepped out onto the deck, covering most of his front with the loose cloths he held. He wasn't unused to being stared at, but this sort of situation was completely new to him. _'What should I do now…?' _The boy thought wistfully to himself.

As if he had read the boy's mind, Elsword called out cheerfully, a broad smile still planted on his face.

"Come on, over here!"

The boy followed quietly, walking over to the redhead's side with a slow, meek stride. He glanced around, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

Elsword then grabbed the boy's shoulders, earning a harsh flinch from the boy. He locked eyes onto the boy's cerulean orbs, smiling cheekily like an impatient child in front of a toy store.

"Alrighty! I know you've probably got a million and one names, but now that you're part of our crew, we need something to call you." He removed his hands, placing them haughtily on his hips. "Hey, since you look like Pally's long lost brother, how about we call you 'Pally number 2'?" He laughed, earning an irritated groan from the blond male.

"How about we let him decide what he wants to be called?" Pally suggested, placing his right hand on his hip nonchalantly.

Elsword stopped laughing, staring at his blond companion with a look of un-amusement and dissatisfaction.

"But he doesn't have a favorite name – he even said so himself! How would he decide?"

"I would suggest using the name given by a parent or guardian, if you have one."

The monotonous voice from before – belonging to an elegantly looking female, with shoulder-length silver hair and emotionless amber eyes – answered the redhead's question, walking over to the small group with a moderately paced, dainty stride. Upon closer inspection, she was wearing the same uniform as the other two shipmates, just slightly different – black shoulder-less shirt with puffy white sleeves, black shorts instead of pants, and open-toed, sandal-like boots with crossing ribbons up to her knees.

Elsword turned towards their new crewmate, furrowing his brows slightly with worry as he asked,

"So, do you have a name that your mom or dad gave you? Or maybe from another relative?"

The shy boy blinked multiple times, slightly taken aback. After all, this was the first time someone asked for his name, after finding out his aquatic origins. Should he trust them…?

"…Chaser."

"Huh? What was that?"

The boy spoke slightly louder, raising his head to meet with Elsword's fiery red eyes.

"Chaser. That is the name my mother gave me; a chaser of dreams, adventure, life…" He trailed off and looked away quickly, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I-I know it's a little cheesy and—"

"Chaser… …I like it!" The boy looked at the redhead, slightly surprised at his response. Completely unfazed, the redhead continued to speak.

"The name's Elsword, and I'm the captain here. Though I'd be pretty upset if you had already forgotten my name." The redhead extended his right arm. "Welcome to the Elgang, Chaser!"

The young boy extended his hand to meet the redhead's, parting quickly after a short handshake. He watched the captain intensely, never noticing a single hidden expression or hesitation in his words or actions. Maybe he could trust the captain? Deep down, the boy knew that he wanted to – and everyone else on the ship as well. But the question remained, would they abandon him someday? The young boy truly hoped not, but he did not know for certain their thoughts and desires.

"Hey guys! Come over here!" With exaggerated hand motions, Elsword called the remaining crew members over. Facing the shy boy, he gestured to the blond male on his right.

"This here's Pally, our, uh, attacker person. He's the guy who either barges in to create distraction for the rest of us, or watches our backs and knocks out anyone who tries to follow us. He also manages the cannons on this ship." He laughed cheerfully, earning an exasperated groan from said person.

"Geez, can't you just say I'm like a bodyguard or cannon wielder or something?"

"But that doesn't sound as awesome!" He laughed again, earning another groan from the blond male.

Disregarding the blond's incoherent mumbling, Elsword gestured to the silver-haired female nearby.

"That's Eve! She's our mechanic, you know, the person who works with machines and stuff to make sure the ship works." Said mechanic nodded her head in a greeting, in which Chaser nodded back in reply, stumbling all the while.

Next, Elsword pointed at Chaser's kidnapper – a tall male with short black hair and sharp golden eyes, wearing the same male uniform, save for a black jacket and dark brown pants.

"That's Raven; he's like Pally – an awesome attacker person – just not as awesome as me. He's also like a ninja, always appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, so we send him out as a scout every once in a while." He laughed, though the older male held no reaction.

Looking past the shy boy, the redheaded captain pointed to two female members standing on a ledge. Gesturing to a short girl with lavender colored pigtails, wearing the crew's uniform – with the exception of a white jacket and blue shorts – Elsword spoke with a teasing tone.

"That's Aisha, our navigator. She's your generic mage who studied the elements and will forever remain short and flat-chested."

"H-Hey! Shut up Elbaka!" With her face beet red, the purple-haired mage fired a small fireball at the captain, though he easily dodged it, laughing all the while.

"Next to her is Rena, our nurse." He pointed to an elven lady with light-green hair, tied with multiple black ribbons into a high ponytail. Unlike the other members, she wore a dark green, sleeveless shirt with a low neck cut, and matching shorts. Like the other females, she wore boots which covered up to her knees. Rena waved, smiling cheerfully.

"Don't think I can't fight though~, my kicks hurt a thousand times more than a cannonball blast~!"

Chaser felt a chill run down his spine. Though the nurse looked perfectly sweet and innocent, he had no difficulty believing her words, making a mental note to never upset her.

"...Hey, where'd Ara go?" Pally glanced around the ship, not even seeing a sign of the girl anywhere. He placed his hand on his chin, furrowing his brows slightly. "Weird, she was here just a moment ago…"

As if on cue, a young girl dressed similarly to the other females – save for a white jacket and brown shorts – burst out onto the main deck, apologizing furiously, her long, ebony-black hair flying everywhere with each deep bow.

"I'm sorry! I found a mouse on board so I tried to catch it but then it got away and—"

She was cut off by laughter.

"No worries, no worries!" The redhead captain turned to the silent Chaser.

"This here's Ara, our scout. She's got this awesome ability to like, feel the flow of energy in life and all that sorts. Plus, she's got really great eyes!" Another hearty laugh.

Chaser gazed at the small number of people around him. They were all smiling brightly – except for Eve and Raven – and all seemed very welcoming to the young boy. He smiled, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks, and bowed politely.

"N-Nice to meet all of you. My name is Chaser, p-please take good care of me!"

The others laughed lightly, and cheered for their new member,

"Welcome to the crew, Chaser!"

* * *

**~ A.N. ~**

This story was originally intended to be a oneshot, but I think I'll separate it into multiple chapters, just so there's more detail going into the character's backgrounds~.

Also, three words: Expect. Slow. Updates.

My mind is like, darting through three different story worlds, so I'll most likely be working on the other two stories at the same time as this one (I probably won't upload those ones just yet though).

I'm not sure just yet where this story's heading though, sorry~, but it's rated 'T' just in case. It'll most likely be just little adventures with the crew. Also, IP _and _DC are in this story because, well:

1. My head-cannon of DC's personality is perfect for the mermaid role.

2. I wanted to have a complete Elgang already.

3. Having TT and DC but no IP is just weird for me. It needs to be IP and DC, or all three of them. :3 /shot

Also, if you were unsure, here are their classes:

Elsword - Rune Slayer

Aisha - Elemental Master

Rena - Wind Sneaker

Raven - Blade Master

Eve - Code Nemesis

Ara - Sakra Devanam

IP and DC are fairly obvious, at least, I'd hope they are. And everyone's wearing the Pirate Costume set thingy from the Item/Cash Mall. 'Cept for Ara, whose outfit I made up, since, she doesn't have one, from what I know.

So! Now that I've rambled on long enough, hope you enjoyed this little chapter! Feedback of any sorts is always welcome, and I hope you're excited for the next chapter (whenever it's uploaded)!


	2. Chapter 2 - Seven

**~ Chapter Two: Lucky Number Seven~**

* * *

_.:Kindness:._

* * *

A loud crash rang throughout the air, startling the relaxed pirates. Clusters of footsteps ran quickly to the main deck, only to find a pair of children sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by many heavy crates.

"Is everyone all right?" Rena asked with a motherly tone.

With irritated groans, the two children picked themselves up, revealing creamy blond hair tied in a low ponytail, and bright purple hair in messy twintails. Seeing a large crowd around the two, Chaser hung his head, ashamed for causing such an unnecessary commotion. Seeing that no one was injured, the elf proceeded to gently scold the two troublemakers.

"Geez, what were you two thinking, carrying such heavy crates by yourselves? It's a good thing no one got hurt." The two shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, while the remaining members continued to stare with worry.

Fumbling with the hem of her shirt, the Elemental Master responded in a quiet, wavering voice, too embarrassed to lift her head.

"Chaser and I wanted to be more helpful so…" She trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

Seeing that neither of the two wished to explain any further, Rena sighed, raising a hand to her temples. Chuckling at her unusually flustered behavior, Raven walked up to the two and ruffled their heads gently, surprising the two.

"Just be careful next time." He smiled, pulling his hands back and walking away.

"Raven, don't encourage them!" The Wind Sneaker pouted in dismay, earning another light laugh from the usually quiet Blade Master. She turned to face the two, placing a hand on her hips and waving her free hand's index finger chidingly.

"If you really must move something so heavy, make sure that someone else – like Raven or Pally – is nearby to help you in case you fall. Okay?"

"Okay..." The two responded in sync. Seeing the two feeling truly regretful for their actions, Rena smiled,

"Good~! Now then, Pally and Elsword, can you two move these crates back?" The two males listened obediently, glad that nothing bad resulted from the incident.

As the two continued to work at an extremely fast pace, Rena turned to walk towards the stairs, leading to the floor below. She then stopped, looking over her shoulder and calling out to the still rueful children.

"Aisha and Chaser, would you two like to help me make tonight's dinner?"

The two glanced at each other quickly, before cheerfully running after the tall elf, broad smiles pasted on their faces.

* * *

_.:Patience:._

* * *

A fierce hissing noise erupted from the engine, startling the blond haired boy. He dropped the wrench in his hand, cringing as it came in contact with a bolt and brought it loose, earning another fuming hiss from the large backup engine.

"A-Ah! I'm sorry Eve!" The blond haired boy bowed deeply, clenching his eyes shut as he waited for the silver haired girl to scold him.

"Raise your head. An apology is not necessary for this situation." With a calm demure, the girl walked over to the engine and picked up the fallen wrench, sealing off the open vents. Behind her, the shy boy apologized again, mentally scolding himself for being so easily scared. Without even turning to face him, the silver haired mechanic continued to speak.

"As I have stated, an apology is not necessary. It is your first attempt at engineering, failure is to be anticipated. You wished to learn more about quantum mechanics, and I have offered to educate you. It would be improper of me if I were to abandon this task so early on."

With the vents closed, Eve stood up and walked over to the flustered boy, handing him the wrench he dropped.

"Let us continue."

Nodding his head, Chaser took ahold of the wrench.

"Thank you, Eve!" He smiled, oblivious to the faint blush on the girl's face.

"...Please save your benedictions until after you have achieved your goals..." She looked away, flicking a loose strand of silver hand back.

Chaser smiled again, laughing lightly as he walked back to the dauntingly large engine, determined to prove himself useful not only to the silver-haired girl, but to himself as well.

* * *

_.:Faith:._

* * *

Loud cries greeted their arrival as the Elgang pulled their ship to dock, landing on a raised metal ledge not too far from the small village of Bethma. The crew had decided to stop by the desert town to restock on supplies before heading off to Velder. One by one, the pirates got off their ship and casually strode to town.

"Awrighty, everyone here? Good." Elsword turned to face his crew, pointing to each member as he listed out their duties. "Rena and Aisha will go and get some food and drinks. Raven and Eve will go and stock up on gunpowder and any spare parts we may need. Ara and Chaser will go around and see if they can get any info on anything in Velder. And Pally and I are gonna go sell the extra stuff we picked up in Elder. Everyone clear?"

He glanced around, noticing their confident nods and cheerful faces. He smiled.

"Good! We'll all meet up at the 'Dragon Nest Inn' in two hours, okay? See ya guys later then!" With a short wave, the redhead started towards the bustling market place, his blond companion trailing not too far behind.

Soon, the group disbanded, leaving only Chaser and Ara still standing in the middle of the streets. Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Chaser turned to face the amber-eyed girl.

"We, we should probably check out the less busy shops. The store owners usually have a lot of information from the trade system."

Chaser nodded, distracted by the noisy stalls. Still gripping the boy's sleeve tightly, Ara wove herself in between the waves of people, walking down the dry road at a brisk but natural pace. Though he was extremely fascinated by the overload of new sights, Chaser made sure to keep an eye on the ebony-black haired girl, for fear of losing her and ending all alone.

"Um, Miss Ara, w-where are we going?" The girl did not respond.

The shy boy sulked slightly, assuming that his quiet voice was drowned out by the louder calls of customers and shopkeepers alike. He closed his mouth and obediently followed the girl, passing through colorful waves of stalls and merchandise. The colors eventually died down to a low minimum, with the occasional speck of blue or green hidden amongst the earthly colors of the rocky lands and dull fabrics.

Out of the corner of her eye, the spearwoman spotted a small, delicate pin on display. She quickly ran over to the bland, empty stall, almost forgetting about her less socially-knowledgeable companion. With her free hand, she lifted the curtain and walked into the shade, pulling the confused boy along with her. She let go of his sleeve and picked up a small metal pin – two simply designed white flowers with four petals each. She turned to face her companion, a bright sparkle reflecting in her amber eyes.

"Look, look! Isn't it pretty? Don't you think this would be perfect for Miss Rena?" She brought the pin closer to the boy.

"Do you think she'll like it?" She smiled, patiently waiting for the startled boy's response.

"A-Ah… Yeah, I think it'll look nice on her." He smiled shyly, earning a bright smile from the girl in response.

Still holding the pin, Ara called out to the shopkeeper – a tall male with flamboyant purple hair.

"Excuse me, how much is this?"

The shopkeeper glanced at his two costumers before turning his gaze to the hairpin she held.

"Ah~, that little beauty, precious, isn't she?" He waved his hands in an exaggerated motion. "For you, my dear, only 700 ED."

"S-Seven hundred? That little?" Ara gasped, her eyes wide with surprised.

"Wow, that's amazing. I saw a similar hairpin back in Velder, and it was almost a million ED!"

The shopkeeper scoffed angrily, earning confused looks from both the ebony-haired girl and the quiet boy.

"My accessories are a billion times more refined than those made elsewhere, especially in Velder. The taxes there have skyrocketed so much that the people are now even selling handfuls of grass for thousands of ED!"

The girl leaned in, an abundance of curiosity flowing through her large amber eyes.

"Really? What are they spending all that tax money on? Velder is already well known for being an extremely advanced kingdom, and their military is supposedly second to none!"

Chaser watched curiously, marveling the girl's subtle methods of gathering information. The shopkeeper scoffed again, flicking his short purple hair and crossing his arms haughtily.

"Who knows? They're all just a bunch of fools if you ask me. Supposedly, they're trying to expand all the way to Feita."

"Feita? But there's nothing there! Just, trees and boring old land!"

"That's what they all say." He leaned in. "But they say that there's a shrine hidden in the forests, which holds a very valuable ancient treasure."

The girl raised a hand to her lips as she mouthed an 'Oh'.

Assuming the conversation was finished, Chaser opened his mouth hesitantly, speaking a few words to the amber-eyed girl.

"Um… Miss Ara? The pin…" He trailed off as he saw the girl retain her attention to the hairpin in her hands.

"Oh! Right. Say mister, this pin, it's kinda small for 700 ED, don't you think? How about 600 ED?"

The shopkeeper laughed.

"Nonsense, my dear. My accessories are made of top-notch quality, 700 ED is already a price worthy of a miracle!"

"Then… How much is this one?" She eyed the other accessories, picking up a small wing hairclip that showed the left side of a beautiful and complicated, light blue fairy wing.

"That is 550 ED." The shopkeeper responded proudly.

Turning to face the shopkeeper, Ara smiled, her eyes shining with a faint tinge of mischief.

"In that case, how about I buy both of these for 1,000 ED? I'm a traveler, so I can help you promote your wares."

The shopkeeper raised a hand to his chin, glancing at the young teenagers and their foreign-looking clothes.

"I'll accept for 1,200 ED."

"1,100, it's not that much of a loss if you think about the possible future sales you'll make." The girl retorted sweetly.

"1,150. I'll go no less."

"Fair enough." Handing the hairpins to her silent companion, Ara pulled out a small brown pouch from her pockets, pulling out multiple silver and bronze coins.

"There you go – 1,150 ED exactly!" Placing her pouch away, she handed the coins to the shopkeeper, smiling cheerfully at her successful bargain.

Taking ahold of the coins, the shopkeeper bowed dramatically, bidding farewell to the young duo.

"Come again~."

Chaser handed the pins back to the cheerful girl, earning a simple "thank you" in response. The two parted from the stall and walked down the dry road with a much slower pace than before. Taking extra caution as to not damage the pin, Ara tucked the flower hairpin into her short pockets, patting it gently with a light giggle. She then stopped and pulled the boy aside to a wall, still holding onto the wing hairclip.

"Chaser, can you bend down a bit?"

The blond boy got down on his knees, looking up at the girl with a mixture of curiosity and confusion in his eyes. Noticing his unease, the girl smiled reassuringly, and gently brushed strands of creamy blond hair away from the boy's cerulean eyes. Being careful not to hurt the boy, Ara clipped the wing accessory on the boy's head, pulling long strands of hair away from the boy's left eye.

"There we go! You look so pretty Chaser~!"

The boy stood up, huffing with embarrassment.

"Miss Ara, I appreciate the thought but… I am a boy…" He trailed off, earning a light laugh from the amber-eyed girl.

"I know. But there's nothing wrong with boys wearing hairclips right?"

He pouted, unable to come up with a logical response.

"Consider it a late welcome gift from me, for joining our crew." She continued, still smiling cheerfully.

Chaser furrowed his brows, unsure of how to interpret her words. Was it really all right to trust the Elgang? They were thieves right? So wouldn't they sell him off one day? As if she had read his mind, Ara laughed lightheartedly.

"Don't worry! Elsword told you, didn't he? None of us have any plans of selling you. I mean, if you want to leave, we'd all be sad, but we wouldn't stop you. Except for maybe Elsword." She laughed again.

Chaser looked at the smiling girl, feeling more reassured by her words. Noticing this, Ara continued to speak.

"Hey, do you want to know a secret? Eve's actually a mermaid too! Well, she's like a half-mermaid. She's actually a Nasod, but her creator wanted her to be able to survive in water, so she has some mermaid genetics – that's why her hair is silvery white. Ah, but don't let her know that I told you. Eve gets embarrassed really easily. It's funny, but not so much fun when she gets really flustered and starts attacking you."

Chaser laughed, imagining the stoic-faced girl chasing after a panicking Elsword, armed with all sorts of various weapons. Seeing the boy's cheerful face, Ara could not help but join in with her own laughter.

As the two collected themselves, Ara extended her left hand to the boy.

"We've still got about an hour before we meet up, so how about we go visit some other stores?"

"Okay." Chaser nodded, gently grabbing the girl's outstretched hand.

She flashed a bright smile at the boy before turning around and leading the boy down the fairly busy streets. Unbeknownst to the black-haired girl, Chaser smiled, thankful for the girl's kind words. _'Yes, I can trust them. After all, they're my friends now…'_

* * *

_.:Diligence:._

* * *

Aisha closed her book, tilting her head back and closing her eyes to release a long sigh.

"Is something troubling you, Miss Aisha?"

The purple-haired magician quickly opened her eyes, meeting with large blue cerulean orbs.

"Oh! No, nothing at all. I'm just a little disappointed, that's all. I thought I would be able to learn something new, but I already knew everything in this book." She lowered her head and stared, unamused, at the thick, leather-bound book.

"Wow, that's amazing…"

The girl laughed.

"Not really. There's bound to be far better magicians in the world. I want to learn as much as possible, so that I can become the best mage I can. It's the least I can do, since I'm not really good at anything else…" She started to swing her legs, gazing at the colorful dots in the world below.

"…T-That's not true! Um, your cooking is very amazing too." The boy called out suddenly, waking the girl from her trance.

"Really?" The girl looked at the taller boy, her fuchsia-colored eyes shining brightly, her face brimming with pride.

The boy nodded.

"Mmm! The soup from last night was really tasty."

Aisha glanced down, feeling slightly dejected.

"…That was made by Rena."

"E-Eh? Ah… T-The potato salad was also—"

"That was also by Rena."

"Th-Then the apple pie?"

Aisha hung her head down in shame.

"That was made by Ara…"

Chaser whimpered silently, unsure of how to comfort the crestfallen magician. He spoke cautiously, choosing his words carefully as to not further offend the Elemental Master.

"Your navigation skills are really great too. Umm… We haven't hit anything and the weather's always nice and clear…" He trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

The mage laughed, raising her head and gazing at the sky above her.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up Chaser. Don't worry, I'm not that upset."

The boy smiled, relieved that the girl was feeling more upbeat.

"I know I'm not that great in anything other than the elemental magics, but if I work hard, I'm sure I'll get better someday." She turned to face the boy, a broad smile on her face.

"So you shouldn't give up either! I might be wrong, but you seem kinda… Lost, I guess. Just try your best! We all really appreciate you being here, so don't worry too much about trying to master every job." She laughed at the boy's surprised face. "Like me! If you're not good at cooking, try something else! But don't give up on cooking if you really like it."

The boy laughed at her comparison.

"So if I practice a lot, and get really good at making food, can I take over your position as one of the assistant chefs?"

"What?! No way!" She chucked a small fireball at the blond boy, intentionally aiming it far to his right, allowing him to easily dodge it. Laughing lightly, she continued, "And plus, even if you do become even the main chef, I'll just try really really hard, and then overpower you like BAM!"

The two laughed lightheartedly, and continued to speak about magic and cooking, even as the golden sun quietly slipped behind the clouds and awoke the silver moon...

* * *

_.:Prudence:._

* * *

"Hey Raven! Come over here, I need your opinion on something."

The Blade Master casually strode over to the redhead captain and their blond newcomer. He glanced at the map the small captain held.

"I don't know if we should cross through Sander to get to Hamel, or take a detour around." The redhead spoke, without even gazing away from the map.

"Crossing straight through Sander would save us a few weeks but…" His crimson eyes narrowed. "They've said to have heightened their security, and it'd be troublesome if we got caught."

"Did something bad happen in Sander?" Chaser asked the two, tilting his head innocently.

The two pirates quickly averted their gazes.

"N-Nothing much. We just happened to stumble by some aristocrat's house, and there were a lot of Nasod-made security cameras…" The redhead trailed off with an awkward laugh.

The Blade Master coughed, catching the attention of the younger males.

"I say we go around this way and head to Velder," He drew a line on the map with his fingers. "And then we head to Hamel. It'll take us a little longer but—"

"We can stock up on some goods and supplies!" Elsword finished for him. "Great thinking Raven!"

He laughed, casually patting the taller male on the back.

"But… …Didn't we recently stop by Fahrmann to restock on supplies?" Chung asked.

The golden-eyed male smirked cryptically,

"Not those kind of supplies. Goods and objects a cargo ship would carry."

The blond boy furrowed his brows in confusion.

"But this isn't a cargo ship…"

"We pose as merchants delivering goods to and from various cities, to avoid being caught by any soldiers or law enforcers."

Raven folded his arms, smiling with an obscure sense of pride. Tucking the map away, Elsword clasped his hands behind his head in a casual and relaxed manner. He chuckled lightly.

"It's not a complete lie though. We take any salvages we don't like and sell them for extra money." He released his hands and patted the Blade Master's shoulder. "And that's why we have this guy here to make sure that we don't go and do something crazy and get caught before, during, or after a raid."

He laughed again, earning a defeated smile from the older male.

* * *

_.:Fortitude:._

* * *

Pally grasped the smaller boy's left hand and quickly dragged him through the dark and damp alley, speaking casually but with a stern tone.

"Don't let go of my hand, Chaser. The alleyways here are always filled with less-than-pleasant people."

As if on cue, a trio of rough-looking young men appeared in front of the blond duo, cutting them off. The supposed 'leader' spoke dauntingly, combing his large fingers through his messy brown hair.

"Hey there precious, what's a little lady like you doing all the way over here?"

Pally smiled politely, not bothering to correct them, though he was clearly irritated by their appearance.

"The two of us are in a rush. Would you mind kindly stepping aside and allowing us to pass?"

The brown-haired male shoved a hand into his pockets, slowly inching closer to the younger males.

"Ooh, feisty aren't you? I like feisty little ladies. How about you and I go have some fun together?" The other two males snickered loudly.

The feminine boy scoffed, flicking his luscious hair back with his spare hand before resting it dauntingly on his hips. He narrowed his cerulean blue eyes, his voice low and threatening.

"I will repeat myself once more – kindly step aside this instant. I have no time for your atrocious acts." He glared harshly at the slightly taller males, becoming more and more impatient with each growing second.

"How about you leave your little friend here to play with us? Then we'll let you go." One of the lackeys asked sweetly, earning quiet barks of laughter from his companions.

Pally felt the smaller boy grip his arm tightly. Even without looking at him, he knew the poor boy was probably terrified of the strangers, especially with his innocent and ignorant knowledge of the real world. He exhaled sharply, and turned around, pulling his arm out of the boy's tight grip. Before Chaser could even react, the older blond male had wrapped his arm around the boy's fragile shoulders, pulling him close and escorting him out of the murky alleyway.

"Come on Chaser, looks like we'll be taking the longer route this time."

"H-Hey! You can't leave like that!"

Pally stopped, and gazed over his shoulder, his narrow blue eyes piercing through the three older males.

"I have no time to deal with pests like you. Do me a favor and kindly remove yourselves from my presence." He hissed back, growling lowly.

Feeling a tug on his left side, Pally turned around, glancing down at the timid boy beside him. He gave a reassuring smile.

"Sorry about that. Let's hurry, shall we?"

Chaser nodded, gazing worriedly behind him. Noticing this, Pally pulled his hand away and ruffled the boy's messy hair, earning a flinch and a quiet yelp from the smaller boy. He laughed.

"It's all right; don't waste your time arguing with those sorts of people."

Still smiling, Pally pulled his hand away and grabbed the boy's left hand once more, tugging on it gently.

"Come on, Elsword won't be happy if we're late."

The smaller boy nodded, replying with a cheerful smile of his own. The two soon stepped out into the busy streets, their hands still tightly connected. Chaser then suddenly stopped, tugging lightly on the older boy's jacket. The older boy stopped as well, and turned to face his shy companion.

"Is something the matter?" Even though he spoke loudly, his voice was barely audible amongst the endless chatter.

Worried that his much quieter voice might not be heard, Chaser stood on his toes, leaning in towards the older boy's ear.

"Th-Thank you…"

He pulled back, a light tint of red evident on his pale cheeks. He glanced at the older boy, noticing him blink multiple times, as if trying to comprehend his recent actions. He looked down, feeling his ears heat up. Was he too quiet? Were his actions too strange? He heard a light laugh, and quickly looked at the smiling prince.

"Don't mention it. We should really hurry though."

Chaser nodded, feeling the corners of his own lips rise in a bright smile.

* * *

_.:Hope:._

* * *

Chaser sighed, leaning over the ledge of the airship as he gazed unto the world below. He felt so dejected, unable to have helped his new friends in any way. He was not very strong, and barely understood mechanics, much less meteorology and navigation. Being cooped up all his life had limited his worldly knowledge, proving him useless when it came to socialization and tactical planning. He enjoyed organizing their loots after a bountiful raid, but it often took him hours longer than when Rena or Eve were assigned the task. He sighed again, fingering the blue hairclip he was given as a gift not too long ago. _'If only there was something I could do…'_

Hearing footsteps approaching, Chaser straightened himself up and turned to face the newcomer.

"…Elsword?"

Said captain raised his hand as a simple greeting.

"Hiya Chaser. What's up? Couldn't sleep?"

The blond boy averted his gaze, mumbling out his response.

"No… Just thinking…" His eyes fell.

"Why am I always so useless? It's already been more than a week and yet…"

Elsword walked over beside the blond boy, casually leaning his arms on the rail. Gazing up at the starry night sky, he answered, his voice unusually calm and relaxed.

"Don't say that. Instead of saying 'It's already been a week', say 'It's only been a week'. You've done lots to help us."

The blond boy glanced at the captain, unconvinced.

"Like what?"

"Well, like that time we were going to sell that huge ruby, but you told us it was a fake." The captain laughed. "It saved us a whole lot of trouble – selling fakes on the market means less buyers and more soldiers on your tail." He laughed again.

"But I can only tell the difference between real and fake gems, since I was constantly surrounded by them before…" Chaser hung his head and stared at his feet. "I can't do anything else – I'm not strong enough to carry things, I'm too inexperienced to help with raids or socialization, and I—"

"Hey, hey, cut it out!" Elsword patted the boy's back, laughing cheerfully.

"You can help out by identifying the fakes gems then, don't worry about the other stuff."

"But Eve—"

"Eve won't do it, even though she's more than capable. Believe it or not, Eve really hates it when someone tells her what to do. She probably only listens to me because I'm captain, but even then, she'll still rebel against me sometimes." He laughed at all his fond memories, before turning to face Chaser, a broad smile still on his face.

"So fake-gem-identifying's now your job okay? And plus, you're really useful for negotiations too."

The blond boy raised an eyebrow.

"I am? But I never say or do anything…"

"But you just being there makes the clients lower their guards. Must be because you look like an innocent and delicate little girl. Rena and Pally are too brave and mature, Eve has a really scary poker face, and Aisha's too childish." He laughed again, earning a strange look from his blond companion.

Without warning, the redhead walked towards the main mast and grabbed onto the net. He turned around, beckoning his companion to follow. The latter cocked an eyebrow.

"But you said I'm not allowed to climb the mast…"

"That's only when the winds are strong. You're so light that everyone's afraid you might get blown off the ship!" The redhead laughed. "Now come on!"

The blond boy slowly strode over to the tall mast and took ahold of the net, looking at the redhead with suspicion, earning a hearty laugh in reply.

"You know how to climb right?" The blond boy nodded.

"Good, then let's race to the top!"

Before Chaser could even open his mouth, the redhead was already halfway to the top. He hung his mouth open, staring in utter shock at his captain's monkey-like ability to climb. He quickly shook his head and sharpened his eyes, focusing on the task before him. Placing one foot on the rope, and then the other, he started to climb the net.

Eventually, he reached the top. Taking many heavy breaths, he grabbed the redhead's outstretched hand, climbing onto the navigator's port. The redhead clasped his arms casually behind his head in a relaxed manner, and turned to smile at the red-faced boy.

"See? It's only been a week and you can already climb to the top. Even now, Aisha still can't do it – she just cheats and teleports to the top." He laughed cheerfully.

The boy's cheery laugh was contagious, and Chaser soon found himself laughing alongside the childish captain. The redhead continued.

"And plus, you help Eve with the engines sometimes right?"

"Only simple things, I don't understand most of it…" Chaser replied, averting his gaze.

"That's still a lot better than any of us could do." He closed his eyes and furrowed his brows, shaking his head slightly. "I can't even understand a single thing Eve says when she talks about mechanical parts. It sounds exactly like Aisha's magical incantations."

The blond boy laughed.

"But they're two different languages!" Elsword laughed as well.

"Exactly!" They continued to laugh.

"So see, even though it's only been a little more than a week, you can already do lots of things that we might not even be able to do." The captain smiled, earning a humble smile from the boy.

"Yes… Thank you, Elsword."

"Don't mention it! Come on, try to get some sleep now." Waving nonchalantly, Elsword began to climb down the mast.

"U-Um, Elsword!"

The redhead looked back up at the panicked boy.

"What is it?"

"I-I don't know how to climb back down… …You never let me climb up in the first place so…"

Elsword deadpanned, whining as he trudged his way back up the net. _'This is gonna be a long night…'_

* * *

**Author's Notes ~**

...I really have no idea where I'm going with this now, sorry. XD

This chapter was mainly just a little filler, kinda explaining the characters a bit more. The next chapter will actually have a storyline, I think. /shot

Also, I think Ara and Elsword's sections were my favorite, and the most well written, even though neither are my favorite characters, lol. And Pally's section... ...Maybe I should write IPxDC more often. There needs to be more IPxDC supporters anyway. /shotbyChungxothercharacterfans

So! As always, thank you for reading this far, and I hope you enjoyed this little filler chapter. Feedback of any sorts is always welcome, and I hope you're excited for some actual storyline progression next chapter~! /shot

One last thing. I think it's pretty much my headcannon that DC is a shy, innocent, tsundere shota. /shot


	3. Notice of Revival

I can't believe I'm doing this, and so soon after its discontinuation date too.

But. Lo and behold, I'm continuing this story.

Honestly, I quite liked the idea, even though I sucked at conveying it (hush, don't lie).

And plus, I really hate to leave something unfinished like this.

So! I've decided to continue this, but on a more fresh note.

...After I finish one more oneshot for _A Fairy Tale for Two_.

I'm also gonna be really busy this month, so I have no idea when this will be updated.

But I can guarantee you, I'm picking this little child back up, and I'm not letting go of its hand until it can run to the moon and back. /shot

So yeah! Hope you're ready, 'cause _Journey of a Thousand Fathoms _is coming back!_  
_

* * *

P.S. Due to popular demand (from before), I'll include some pairing scenes, but not too much, since that will go against my original idea. .

So once this starts back up again, lemme know of the pairings you want, and I'll see if I can throw in bits and pieces of them here and there (and yes, that includes RenaxElsword and AishaxChung... ...*Shivers* /shot )

* * *

P.P.S. Someone explain to me how IPxDC is shotacon. I seriously still don't understand that. /shot


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